Egg-carrier.



Patented May l4, I90l.

v D. B. REPLOGLE.

EGG CARRIER. App1ica.tion filed June 26, 1900.

. (No Model.)

I If U THE NORRIS PETERS DO PHOTOJJTHCL, WASNXNDTQN, D. C.

WITNLISSIES R jco.

I INVENTOR' I AM UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

EGG-CARRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674.123, dated May 14:, 1901. Application filed June 26, 1900. Serial No. 21,607. \No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL B. REPLOGLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Eg -Oarriers, of which the followingis a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to egg-carriers constructed from sheet orplate metal and designed to be used for shipment and delivery of ordinary hens eggs.

'The objects'of the invention are to provide a simplified tray for carrying such eggs; to construct such trays so that each constitutes a unit for holding a given number of eggs; to provide means for locking the several units together, so as to facilitate handling; to facilitate the inspection of eggs while in the tray, and to hold the eggs so that they stand on the point end, and other objects as herein specified and particularly pointed out in the claims.

To this end the invention consists of the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Whih Figure 1 shows a suitable diagram for cutting the metal to construct the individual eggholder so as to hold the egg point end down when the tray is sitting on edge. Fig. 2 shows a substitute diagram for cutting the individual egg-holder, more particularly adapted to be used in such trays as are intended always to be lying flat down when in use. Fig. 3 is a general View showing a pair of my trays sitting on edge and locked together. Fig. 4 shows a cross-section taken on the line w 00 of one of the trays, as shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an edge view of one of the corners of a tray, showing the method of bending. Fig. 6 shows a substitute method of bending the corner of the tray. Fig. 7 shows an edge view of a suitable lid for one of my trays.

Similar characters of reference denote like and corresponding parts throughout the sev-- metal at 3 between the two ends of the line 4, which cuts them out.

5design-ates an additional supporting member, which is also bent perpendicular to the sheet metal by bending in the vicinity of 6, the central part 7 of said member being cut out on the circle or circumference 8, thus leaving a circular opening through the member 5. When the metal is cut in this manner, it provides a single receptacle or holder for an egg, and some such cutting is to he repeated for each individual egg to be held by a single sheet or the tray constructed from it.

The individual holder may be made by a substitute method, as follows: Tongues 9, 10, 11, and 12 may be cut out of the sheetmetal by the two continuouscuts or slits 13 and 14., as shown in Fig. 2, after which the tongues 9 and 10 may be bent at right angles, respectively opposing the tongues 11 and 12,

also bent out to right angles on the same side of the sheet metal, thus forming spring-clip individual holders for eggs. The subtending strip of metal 15 may then be cut on the "line 16 and pressed downward to the opposite side of the 'metal from that to which the tongues aforesaid are bent, thus providing-a ,holder of sufficient depth for an individual construct a tray from the sheet metal into which these individual holders are made for holding one dozen ordinary hens eggs as follows: A strip of tin or sheet metal about thirteen inches by eight inches is about the proper size. A hem 17 is bent on each end of it, after which the ends of the sheet are bent at right angles with the central portion by peculiar bends or curves 18, allowing an opened sliding way 19,into which the hem of another similar tray is adapted to hook. The angle 20 thus formed serves as a foot or support of the tray when it is laiddown instead of stand- ICO tttmtmww ing on the edge, as shown in Fig. 3. The curve or bend 18, as shown in Fig. 6, may be substituted for that shown in Fig. 5, if desired. These ends when thus bent at right angles to the main body of the tray form the side walls 21 of the tray and are adapted to be com pressed toward one another, as suggested in Fig. 3, for the purpose of booking them into the ways 19 of the additionaltrays, so that in this manner any number of trays may be consecutively hooked together. The body portion of the trays may also be strengthened by beads 22, extending between the rows of egg-holders in the tray and above and below the outside rows. An eye 23 is also provided in one edge of the tray, by means of which it may be hung upon a nail, if desired. The trayis also adapted to be covered by means of a lid bent as shown in Fig. 7, saidlid being strengthened by beads 24 and each end hooked over by hooking edges 25 25, forming ways 26 26, adapted to engage with the hems 17 17 of a tray in the same manner as the ways 19 of similar trays.

In practice I find it best to make the trays so as to hold three rows of eggs, four in each rowthat is, three horizontal rows in which the eggs stand side by side, containing four eggs in a horizontal row and three in a vertical row, three eggs, measuring the long way, being about equivalent to four eggs measuring the short way, thus making a tray when completed about eight inches square and two inches deep, four of them being locked together, forming a package nearly in the shape of a cube.

I do not wish to be confined to the exact cutting and bending as shown in the drawingsas, for example, the corner of the tray might be varied into several different shapes. The main requisite of my invention is that it shall be bent so as to provide a sliding way or hooking attachment for the hem of the next succeeding tray, whether the sheet metal is continuous from the body of the tray or attached by soldering or other means. The individual holders may also be varied in many ways without departing from the general spirit o'f the invention.

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As a new article of manufacture the herein-described egg-tray constructed from a single piece of sheet metal or other suitable material, having individual spring-clip eggholders constituted from portions of the said sheet metal cut and bent outward from the body thereof, two ends of said piece of sheet metal bent toward each other and substantially at right angles to the bottom of the tray and adapted to form lateral sides or wings thereof, a hem on the edge of each wing and a fold bent in the metal at the corners of the tray, said folds adapted to engage with the hems of additional trays for the purpose of locking the trays together and for the additional purpose of forming ridges adapted to raise the bottom of the tray above the level of the plane on which it may lie, substantially as specified.

2. A tray for holding eggs, constructed from a single piece of sheetmetal the body thereof consisting of a plane having strengthening swages or beads pressed therein and rows of individl'ial springclip egg-holding members out from the metal between the said beads and bent outward at substantially right angles to the plane thereof and adapted to hold individual eggs, the ends of said tray being left open and the sides thereof formed by bending up the metal at substantially right angles to the bottom of the tray and provid ing sliding grooves by folding over the metal in proximity to said bends, the edges of said sides also provided with hems adapted to engage with slides in the grooves aforesaid, in similar trays, substantially as specified.

3. An egg-tray consisting of a pan or sheet metal receptacle, having a plurality of inclividual egg-holders integrally made therewith by slitting the bottom thereof, and bending out portions of the same into opposing projections adapted to clasp individual eggs, and sides of said pan or receptacle provided with hems or hooked-over portions adapted to engage with sliding ways or folds attached to the bottoms of similar trays, substantially as specified.

4:- In an egg-carrier constructed from sheet metal, individual egg-holders madeintegrally therewith, adapted to carry a limited number of eggs arranged substantially in the shape of a square, two edges of the sheet of metal from which they are constructed, being bent at right angles with the body thereof, adapting the said sheet to sit on edge, and also provided with an eyelet for hanging the same on a nail, substantially as specified.

5. An egg-tray constructed from a single piece of sheet or plate metal, the said metal being provided with a plurality of individual spring-clip egg-holders integrally made therewith by cutting and bending the said metal, in combination with means for locking the tray together with a similar tray, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL B. REPLOGLE.

Witnesses:

J. E. BLIss, T. A. MoGoLDRIoK. 

